A Chicago woman has been charged with felony aggravated DUI resulting in an accident and bodily harm, driving under the influence, driving with alcohol in the vehicle, driving without insurance, driving 15-20 miles over the speed limit, failure to reduce speed, and a child restraint violation following a north side car accident that left her four year old son dead. The fatal Chicago car accident occurred near the corner of Fullerton and Kostner early last Sunday morning. According to reports, the defendant driver was travelling eastbound on Fullerton in a Dodge Avenger when she went through a red light and rear-ended a Honda Civic. The Civic reportedly struck another vehicle and came to rest against a building. The defendant’s vehicle then crossed over into the next lane and struck a Chevy Tahoe. Witnesses to the accident reported that the defendant driver of the Avenger took her two boys out of her vehicle and fled the scene immediately following the car crash. Her husband, who was in the front seat of the vehicle, also left the scene fleeing down Fullerton Ave.

The children involved in the fatal Chicago car accident were taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital where one young boy was pronounced dead. The boy suffered a lacerated liver and multiple contusion injuries. The defendant’s blood alcohol level was registered at .151 – almost twice the legal limit of .08. Responding police also found two open beer cans in the vehicle.

Alcohol related motor vehicle accidents can be very dangerous and even fatal. If you have been involved in an alcohol related vehicle accident and would like to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney in the Chicago area, please click here.

A former Illinois youth soccer coach who worked as a paramedic was sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually assaulting six young boys and manufacturing child pornography. The convicted, 46 year Timothy Scholtes of Coal City, IL, was sentenced on August 17, 2010. His sentence was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Scholtes was arrested back in June of 2009 as a result of the aforementioned investigation. The arrest occurred after federal agents searched and raided Scholtes’s home and computer. He plead guilty in October of 2009 to two counts of receiving child pornography and one count of manufacturing. He denied that he sexually assaulted any children.

The sentencing hearing for Scholtes included testimony from the family members of seven minor victims, some of which claimed that they were sexually assaulted. According to reports, one 10 year old soccer player had refused to ride with him after he made a sexual advance. The Judge imposed a sentence of 50 years including the maximum of 30 years on the manufacturing count and 10 years for each of the receiving counts. Scholtes had worked as a fireman, paramedic, and soccer coach in Illinois.

If you have been the victim of sexual abuse you, should contact an attorney that understands how to handle sexual abuse claims in Illinois. Attorney Joseph G. Klest has over twenty eight years of experience handling these types of cases throughout Illinois. To speak with an experienced sexual abuse attorney, please click here.

A three vehicle accident on I-88 in the town of Lisle, IL, has left eleven people injured. The Chicago car accident occurred around 3:53 p.m. this afternoon near mile marker 130 of the busy Chicago expressway. A preliminary investigation determined that a black Pontiac lost control and struck a red Chevrolet pickup. The pickup subsequently lost control and slid across three lanes of traffic striking a Toyota minivan. The minivan rolled over and came to rest on its hood. Illinois State Police responded to the car accident.

Eleven individuals were injured as a result of the Chicago car accident. The accident victims were taken to Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL, and Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL. Two of the injured suffered broken bones and were listed in critical but non-life threatening condition. Traffic was backed up until around 5:30 p.m. while police investigated the car accident. State police are still investigating the crash at this time and no further information is currently available.

Chicago expressway car accidents often happen at high speeds in dangerous high volume areas. If you or someone you know has been involved in an expressway car accident you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to investigate the crash and protect your rights. Attorney Joseph G. Klest has over twenty eight years of experience handling accident cases in Illinois. To speak with attorney Klest, please click here.

The State of Illinois is looking to shut down a surgical center owned by an Illinois doctor that has been convicted of sexual abuse. Dr. Nercy Jafari of the Grand Avenue Surgical Center in Chicago was found guilty of sexually abusing a patient in 2001 while performing a bikini-line laser treatment. According to records, Jafari removed a 23 year-old patients bikini bottoms and stroked her thighs and genitals with his bare hand. A woman who worked for the Dr, Jafari also testified that he inappropriately touched her when she received similar treatment. Prosecutors had also compiled allegations from another former employee in Jafari’s 2001 prosecution.

Dr. Jafari was convicted and sentenced to 24 months of sex offender probation, but his license was never suspended. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation had filed a formal complaint against the doctor. Jafari was able to participate in a private conference with a member of the medical disciplinary board who determined that Jafari’s denial of wrongdoing was sufficient to retain his license. Jafari is now required to have a chaperon present when he performs exams on female patients. A separate agency, the Illinois Department of Health, is now looking to close the center with an August 2nd notice of intent to revoke. Jafari will be allowed to continue to practice while he fights the revocation.

Sexual abuse victims are often scared or uncomfortable about exposing their abusers. Victims’ rights attorney Joseph G. Klest has over twenty eight years of experience handling very sensitive sexual abuse cases in the State of Illinois. To speak with attorney Klest, please click here.

A fatal head on car crash claimed the life of a woman in her twenties and injured three others early yesterday in north suburban Antioch, IL. The fatal Chicago car accident occurred around 1:45 a.m. when a Mitsubishi hatchback travelling westbound on Grass Lake Rd. collided with an Eastbound GMC SUV near 27500 W. Grass Lake Rd. A passing motorists alerted police and emergency personnel to the scene.

The driver of the Mitsubishi was killed as a result of the tragic Illinois car crash. She was extricated from her vehicle and confirmed deceased by a Lake County Coroner who was at the scene of the crash. The driver of the SUV was ejected from his vehicle and found conscious near the crash site. He was airlifted to St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, IL, while two passengers in his vehicle were airlifted to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL. All were rushed to trauma centers in very critical condition. The bulk of the collision reportedly occurred in the westbound lanes. The posted speed for the stretch of road is 40 mph and investigators have reason to believe that at least one of the vehicles was speeding. Also, some evidence found at the scene indicates that alcohol may have played a role in the tragedy. There were no witnesses to the fatal Chicago area car accident. The accident is still being investigated by authorities.

Timely accident investigation is crucial in many fatal motor vehicle accidents. If you have been involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash, you should contact an attorney immediately to investigate the accident and preserve crucial evidence. To speak with an attorney, please click here.

It has been over a year and a half since the Federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was passed boosting safety standards for swimming pools nationwide, yet a recent study finds that over one thousand public pools in Illinois fail to meet the new safety standards. These pools were found to be operating in Chicago area aquatic parks, hotels, fitness clubs, apartment complexes and even some schools. In fact the study found that nearly 243 public pools fail to meet federal safety standards, yet almost all of these pools remain open.

The safety act was passed to combat faulty drains and drain covers that were implicated in causing serious injuries and even deaths in Illinois area pools. The new law mandates pools to install anti-suction drain covers with domed tops. These covers create a tighter seal and also do not contain large holes through which hair can get trapped. The most common injuries suffered at these ill-equipped pools result from entrapment in drains, entanglement of hair in drains and even rare cases of disembowelment where a swimmer’s intestines are suctioned out through a drain cover. The Illinois Department of Health has revealed that fewer than 100 of the public pools necessitating modifications have been equipped with proper drains. DuPage County has its own system of handling permitting and compliance and reports that only 20 of its 619 pools are not in compliance.

If you have been an injury victim in a Chicago area pool you should contact an attorney immediately to investigate your claim and protect your rights. The Klest Law Firm has over twenty eight years of experience handling injury claims in and around Chicago. To speak with an attorney, please call us today.

A Chicago truck driver reportedly failed to appear at a court date yesterday in conjunction with a truck accident that killed four people and left six other injured near the Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40. The fatal Illinois vehicle accident occurred on January 7, 2010, when a tanker truck collided with a shuttle bus. According to reports, the truck was travelling westbound on Interstate 70 when the driver lost control of the vehicle and careened into oncoming traffic in the eastbound lane. The truck hit the shuttle bus head on. Weather conditions were icy at the time of the fatal accident.

The tragic Illinois truck crash claimed the lives of three residents of a Springfield, IL, vocational training center and the bus driver responsible for their transportation. The driver of the truck was charged with four counts of vehicular manslaughter, failure to control and speeding in connection with the crash. Reports indicate that the Defendant missed his court due to a language barrier. He is Russian and speaks English only as a second language. Several other individuals involved in the accident suffered personal injuries as a result of the occurrence.

Illinois truck accidents often involve very serious injuries. If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois truck accident an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney can make all the difference. To speak with an Illinois truck accident attorney, please click here.

A Chicago resident has entered a plea of not guilty to drunk driving charges stemming from a fatal car accident that occurred on in late June in Wilmette, IL. The fatal Chicago area car crash occurred near the 700 block of Sheridan Rd. in Wilmette around 2:30 a.m. on June 28, 2010. According to reports, the Defendant was speeding in a black Nissan at that time and location when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a fire hydrant and a tree.

Two of the five individuals in the vehicle died as a result of the car accident. The two deceased passengers, both teenage girls, were in the backseat of the vehicle. Reports indicate that the driver, a 20 year old resident of Chicago, had picked four girls up that evening and taken the group to the movies. The group then allegedly purchased a bottle of vodka which was consumed prior to the deadly car accident which claimed the lives of two teenage passengers. A third passenger was hospitalized while the fourth did not suffer any injuries. The allegedly intoxicated driver suffered a broken ankle. He has been held on a $2 million bond that was set on June 30. He pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated last Monday. A status hearing for the case is set for September 15th.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an alcohol related car accident, you should speak with an attorney immediately to protect vital evidence. The Klest Law Firm has over twenty eight years of experience advocating on behalf of accident victims in Illinois. To speak with an attorney from the Klest Law Firm, please click here.

The Chicago Tribune published an article earlier this week detailing
the substantial number of sexual abuse allegations levied against Dr.
Ricardo Arze between 2000 and 2007. According to the article, Arze
allegedly sexually assaulted at least 21 women and girls at his
practice in Berwyn, IL. The first complaint against Arze was lodged in
2003 when a 17 year old girl told Berwyn police that the doctor had
removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her in his exam room. It
took four more years and at least four formal complaints to police to
initiate an investigation that led to Arze’s being charged with
criminal sexual assault. Since that time at least 21 total girls and
women have detailed acts of sexual abuse committed by Arze. The
victims of Arze that did come forward report to being brushed aside by
police.

The widespread abuses committed by Arze are indicative of a system
which some feel does not adequately protect patients from sexual
predators masquerading as doctors. Medical discipline of doctors is
handled by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation. That disciplinary agency is not required to report abuse
allegations to police just as the police are not required to report to
the disciplinary authorities. In addition, Illinois law only allows
license revocation where a doctor has been twice convicted of felonies
involving controlled substances or public aid offenses. As such, Dr.
Arze’s license to practice medicine has not been revoked.

Arze was finally charged in 2007 with sexual assault and is currently
released on $1.5 million dollar bail. Once the charges against Arze
were made public, many more women began to come forward with stories
of abuse. Many of these women filed civil sexual abuse cases against
Arze. Oftentimes, pressure and exposure through civil lawsuits can
spur prosecutorial action where police and the state are unwilling or
unable to bring a case. If you have been the victim of institutional
sexual abuse, you should contact an attorney to explore your options
and potentially expose harmful predators. To speak with an experienced
Illinois victims’ rights attorney, please click here.